| Code | SH.STA.MMRT.NE |
| Indicator Name | Maternal mortality ratio (national estimate, per 100,000 live births) |
| Short definition | Maternal mortality ratio is the number of women who die from pregnancy-related causes while pregnant or within 42 days of pregnancy termination per 100,000 live births. |
| Long definition | Maternal mortality ratio is the number of women who die from pregnancy-related causes while pregnant or within 42 days of pregnancy termination per 100,000 live births. |
| Source | Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG), World Health Organization (WHO), note: The country data compiled, adjusted and used in the estimation model by the Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG). The country data were compiled from the following sources: civil registration and vital statistics; specialized studies on maternal mortality; population based surveys and censuses; other available data sources including data from surveillance sites.;
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), note: Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG);
UN Population Fund (UNFPA), note: Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG);
World Bank Group (WBG), note: Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG);
United Nations (UN), note: Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG);
PAHO, note: Core Indicators Portal;
ICF, note: The DHS Program, Demographic and Health Surveys |
| Topic | Health: Reproductive health |
| Dataset | WDI |
| Periodicity | Annual |
| Reference period | 1985-2018 |
| Statistical concept and methodology | Methodology: The national estimates of maternal mortality ratios are based on national surveys, vital registration records, and surveillance data or are derived from community and hospital records.
Statistical concept(s): Reproductive health is a state of physical and mental well-being in relation to the reproductive system and its functions and processes. Means of achieving reproductive health include education and services during pregnancy and childbirth, safe and effective contraception, and prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. Complications of pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death and disability among women of reproductive age in developing countries. Maternal mortality ratios are generally of unknown reliability, as are many other cause-specific mortality indicators. Household surveys such as Demographic and Health Surveys attempt to measure maternal mortality by asking respondents about survivorship of sisters. The main disadvantage of this method is that the estimates of maternal mortality that it produces pertain to any time within the past few years before the survey, making them unsuitable for monitoring recent changes or observing the impact of interventions. In addition, measurement of maternal mortality is subject to many types of errors. Even in high-income countries with reliable vital registration systems, misclassification of maternal deaths has been found to lead to serious underestimation. |
| Development relevance | Childbirth should be a time of life, not death. And yet, many women die due to complications of pregnancy and childbirth. Nearly every death is in low- and middle-income countries, and nearly every death is preventable where the clinical knowledge and technology required to prevent them have existed. However these solutions are often not available, not accessible or not implemented, especially in low-resource settings and/or subpopulations at greater risk due to social determinants. |
| Limitations and exceptions | Maternal mortality ratios are generally of unknown reliability, as are many other cause-specific mortality indicators. The ratios cannot be assumed to provide an exact estimate of maternal mortality.
Maternal mortality ratios collected directly from Demographic and Health Surveys are presented in the survey year, but reference time of these maternal mortality ratios is for the seven years preceding the survey. |
| License URL | https://datacatalog.worldbank.org/public-licenses#cc-by |
| License Type | CC BY-4.0 |
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